The Great Mouse Detection

Chapter One

Inside a familiar mailbox, trouble was brewing within the catacombs of the country's foremost scientific mind, as she dealt with one of her usual migraines.

"Out, get out" cried a disheartened Professor Squawkencluck as she hoisted the world's greatest secret agent out of her laboratory.

"I told you to stay well clear of that Megabyte Modem"

"Good grief Professor, I only wanted to use it for faster broadband" said Danger Mouse.

"There's nothing wrong with the rate you've presently got" Squawk rambled.

"You tend to forget the kind of speeds I'm used to travelling with in the Mark III Professor"

"Oh right, so the thing has to dial through traffic lights to satisfy you?"

Haplessly waltzing in on the argument was Penfold, a small can of coke in hand.

"Chief? The Colonel asked me to come fetch you, you're needed urgently in the briefing room"

"We're calling the lounge the briefing room now?"

"No, we call that because you've taken to leaving all your unwashed briefs in there. No, of course it's the briefing room Chief"

"Very well Penfold, I'll lead the way" DM added, grabbing the coke from Penfold's grip and chugging its contents down his own throat in route to the main elevator.

Penfold stared back at Squawk as he pressed her head firmly against the edge of the walls that lined the entrance to her lab.

"He gave you another one didn't he?" said Penfold, producing a pair of aspirins from his pocket and handing one to her.

"I'm used to having the occasional pop of the membrane Penfold, you don't have to make a special effort to clear it" said Squawkencluck, lightly tapping Penfold on the head.

"Yeah well, sooner or later the Chief's gonna have to settle down a bit, the way he treats you ladies is abominable" Penfold continued.

"What he needs is a date" Squawkencluck suggested. "There's a rather minuscule percentage of me that reckons he could just about manage it"

"You think so?" said Penfold

"Look how great he is with you"

"I'm not a girl" Penfold said, crossing his arms in frustration.

"You sure do scream like one" Squawkencluck joked teasingly, before turning the subject back to important business.

"What does the Colonel want from you and DM anyway?"

"Something about a rugby diamond" Penfold explained.

"Ruby" Squawkencluck said in an attempt to correct him.

"No, Rugby. It's shaped like a Rugby ball. It was designed as an heirloom for the winners of the Rugby world cup. It was placed in the care of the British military"

"Well that's a pretty silly thing, England was ousted early in the game this year. there's bound to be some bitterness there"

"Yeah, well, that right there was grounds for someone in its care to tail off with it. The Colonel got a hot tip from a source that went cold, it was the very soldier who swiped it, K's now feeding DM the details on where it ended up"

"So you'll be working New Year's day then?" asked Squawkencluck, sounding almost disheartened.

"'Fraid so" said Penfold.